Fujitsu Raku-Raku F12-D Smartphone Heads To US, Europe

Fujitsu has announced that it will be releasing its Raku Raku F12-D smartphone in the United States and Europe. Said device is designed for senior citizens, thus among its features are larger images and typefaces, as well as increased volume and noise-cancellation in voice calls.

In Japanese, Raku Raku translates to “easy” or “comfortable,” suggesting that these devices will not keep the elderly squinting at the devices or straining to understand a caller.

There will be modifications on the American and European versions of the Raku Raku smartphone, although said changes have not been revealed yet. Its price and date of availability, furthermore, are still unknown.

The Japanese smartphone, for its part, comes with a 1.4GHz processor, a modified Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, and a 4-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. On its home screen, it has a shortcut for technical support, as well as a button for calls, mail, and contacts. A weather widget and a voice control app are likewise available.In Japan, the device was launched last summer, targeting Japan’s aging population.

The Raku Raku F12-D smartphone is the first handset that Fujitsu is selling outside of its home country. Fujitsu president Masami Yamamoto elucidates on the reason behind this decision: “As the Japanese market has already hit a peak, we have to sell devices overseas to increase our sales numbers.”

Yamamoto is projecting shipments to increase around two million units in two years. In fiscal year 2012, Fujitsu reports 8 million units sold. The number is estimated to be around 10 million in fiscal year 2014.

Meanwhile, the Arrow smartphone series, which are considered to be Fujitsu’s top-performing smartphones will remain in the domestic market. According to Yamamota, the company does not have the financial resources of companies like Samsung to market the product.

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